RESPONSIBILITIES FOR ACTION FOR MORE SUSTAINABLE EUROPEAN TOURISM

European Commission

The European Commission should be the main player in coordinating action at a European level. Many topics have implications for a range of Commission functions. Therefore, there is a need for stronger coordination between these functions in addressing sustainable tourism. The Commission should report periodically to the Parliament and the Council on policies and actions to make tourism more sustainable.

Primary responsibilities include:

• Incorporating sustainability in all tourism related policies and actions.
• Ensuring that EU funding is only given to projects that are in line with sustainable development.
• Applying funding, where appropriate, to address the challenges of sustainable tourism and support the processes.
• Encouraging Member States to pursue more sustainable tourism and to report regularly on their policies and actions.
• Providing a supportive policy framework for the integrated development and implementation of sustainable tourism startegies at a local destination level, in conjunction with Member States.
• Conducting and disseminating research on relevant issues across Europe.
• Identifying and dissemination of examples of good practice.
• Facilitating the acquisition and sharing of knowledge and skills on making tourism more sustainable.
• Assisting in the coordination of performance criteria across Europe.
• Measuring tourism impact and providing basic indicators and statistics on the sustainability of tourism.
• Reflecting sustainability in its own travel and procurement practices.
• Directing European aid programmes at sustainable tourism projecst in less developed countries and assisting in coordination of bilateral programmes to this end.

Member States Governments (National or Regional Government depending on the political structure and location of tourism responsibility)

Primary responsibilities include:

• Providing political commitment to the sustainability of tourism.
• Incorporating sustainability aims and principles in tourism policies and strategies.
• Ensuring that tourism issues are inclued and reflected in wider policies relating to the environment, culture, transport, communities and sustainable development.
• Working across government and with other stakeholders in the formulation and delivery of policies and strategies (such as the pattern of school holidays).
• Addressing sustainability issues in the application of EU funding programmes to tourism, including seeking to fund appropriate actions.
• Doing likewise in the application of their own funding programmes.
• Developing indicators of tourism sustainability at a national or regional level, with associated monitoring and reporting, and identifying and coordinating indicators for use at a destination level.
• Establishing relevant education, training, business support and marketing programmes.
• Instigating and supporting relevant research.
• Actively supporting the application of certification and labelling schemes and relevant promotion to consumers.
• Encouraging and facilitating the establishment of multi-stakeholder Destination Management Organisations (DMOs).
• Setting up frameworks and programmes to support sustainable destination management.
• Reflecting sustainability in their own travel and procurement practices.
• Supporting sustainable tourism in international development activities.

Local Authorities/Destination Management Organisations

Local authorities are key players in planning and managing tourism and addressing its impacts. They should work together, with the private sector and with environmental and community interests, in Destination Management Organisations. In some Member States the DMO function may apply to regions.

Primary responsibilities include:

• Establishing multi-stakeholder mechanisms and structures, for the development and implementation of sustainable tourism strategies and action plans.
• Providing leadership and facilitating coordination and networking.
• Ensuring that officers and politicians are fully conversant with sustainability issues.
• Strengthening financial and staff resources devoted to tourism management.
• Identifying relevant indicators and monitoring impact.
• Providing and maintaining relevant infrastructure and amenities.
• Reflecting sustainability in a range of tourism communication and support services.
• Providing effective land use planning and development control, together with a range of other relevant instruments.
• Promoting relevant educational campaigns aimed at residents, tourists and operators.
• Reflecting sustainability in their own travel and procurement practices.

Tourism Businesses

The level of respone of tourism businesses is critical to the achievement of more sustainable tourism. Key to this is not only individual response but the support and commitment of trade bodies and associations at a European, national and destination level, including sectoral associations and informal networks.

Primary responsibilities include:

• Actively participating in local destination management structures and activities.
• Taking environmental and social factors into account in their investment and pricing decisions.
• Promoting wider dissemination of Corporate Social Responsibility approaches and engaging in social dialogue.
• Developing achievable environmental management systems.
• Ensuring that employment policies are equitable.
• Strengthening relationships with the local community.
• Seeing that all staff are conversant with sustainability issues.
• Applying sustainability considerations in reviewing supply chains and procurement activities, including travel.
• Providing relevant information to visitors and helping them to travel more sustainably.
• Participating in voluntary schemes to conserve natural and cultural heritage and support local communities.

Other Bodies

A number of other kinds of organisation have an important role to play in stimulating, monitoring, supporting and influencing more sustainable tourism.

Educational and Research Establishments: These bodies have a key role to play in undertaking research and promoting understanding of sustainability issues in tourism. Universities, colleges and other training bodies should reflect sustainability concerns in their mainstream tourism courses as well as providing more specific courses on relevant topics. Primary and secondary schools should intrroduce the issue of sustainable tourism to pupils at an early age.

Trade Unions: Their primary role is representing the interests of employees in the tourism sector and engaging in social dialogue and negotiations with enterprises and employers' associations. Through this, they are major contributors to ensuring social sustainability, within the context of delivering economic benefits and environmental responsibility. They may also be involved in providing holidays and supporting social tourism.

Consumer Associations: Associations that communicate directly with their members, or indirectly to the wider travelling public, are well placed to put across sustainability messages and specific information as well as providing feedback. Associations with large membership bases, such as automobile or travel clubs, have a particular important role to play.

NGOs: A wide range of NGOs at international, European, national and local level represent different aspects of sustainability. They may include social and environmental bodies and networks. They have an important role in contributing to policy, research, standards, certification and communication.

International Organisations: UN agencies and other international bodies should be invited to work with the EU and other European and national stakeholders (where appropriate through agreements or memorandums of understanding) to develop, coordinate and implement sustainable tourism policies and promote adherence to them in Europe and around the world. 

Tourists

Tourists should recognise the impact of their travel and related activities and accept their responsibility to make this more sustainable.

Primary responsibilities include:

• Choosing more sustainable transport and accommodation options.
• Spreading their pattern of holiday taking throughout the year.
• Reducing use of energy and water at their destination.
• Reducing and recycling material used and leaving no waste.
• Minimising intrusion, for example through noise.
• Gathering information to improve understanding of destinations visited.
• Respecting nature, culture and host communities' values and traditions.
• Supportin the local economy, including purchasing local produce.
• Contributing to projects to conserve natural and cultural heritage.